“双重意识”问题与美国黑人的身份建构

"Double Consciousness" in the Construction of African American Identity

二十世纪的美国黑人小说反映了作家们的"双重意识"以及他们对美国黑人文化身份的思考。他们对身份的探讨呈现出三种倾向:一是"融入"思想,希望被白人主流社会接纳;二是强调其"黑人性",激发种族自豪感、增强种族凝聚力,与白人种族主义分庭抗争;三是建构其美国人的身份,同时强调其黑人性。这些倾向也是广大美国黑人寻找文化身份时的心理写照。文化身份具有客观、本质的特性的同时又具有主观、建构的特点。双重意识问题形象生动地再现了美国黑人的文化心理。随着时间的推移、社会的变迁以及个人经历的变化,美国黑人作家对文化身份的思考也会随之出现差异或者由差异走向趋同。

African American novels in the 20th century reveal a sense of ＂Double Consciousness＂ of the writers and imply their explorations for the cultural identity of the American black. During this course, three inclinations are evident, the orientation to white predominant society, the assertion of the Black identity, highlighting the African Americanness to improve racial pride and to strengthen racial unity against the white racism and ethnocentrism, and the claim of being both American and African American. These orientations are also the case on the part of＂ the ordinary African Americans. Cultural identity is objective and natural and meanwhile subjective and constructional. ＂Double Consciousness＂ sheds light on the psychology of the African Americans. Ideas of cultural identity by African American writers may vary or converge along with the changes in time, society and personal experiences.